18 BULLETIN 274, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGBICTJLTTJBE. 



easily traceable to berries mashed in the hand of the picker before 

 being placed in the cup. Serious injury and decay also result from 

 attempts by pickers to sort over filled or partly filled cups. 



The injury and decay that result from breaking the berry or 

 bruising it when pulling it away from the receptacle is probably the 

 most common and serious. This injury can be avoided almost entirely 

 by using three fingers instead of two and by pulling the berries off 

 straight rather than sidewise. 



Three fingers distribute the pressure more evenly and greatly lessen 

 liability from injury, provided no more pressure is applied than is 

 necessary to separate the berries from the receptacle. 



SORTING AS TO OVERRIPENESS. 



One of the most common causes of decay and deterioration is 

 carelessness in sorting berries into their proper grades at the time 

 of picking. Berries intended for long-distance shipment must be 

 at as nearly the same stage of development as possible, with none 

 overripe or soft at the time of picking. Every grower knows when 

 a berry is in ideal condition for long-distance shipment and strives 

 to have his pickers exercise due precaution and care to place only 

 sound, uninjured, unbroken, properly matured berries in the cups. 

 This practically means the removal of the berries from the vines as 

 quickly as they will slip off the core. Overripe and soft berries 

 when mixed with the properly handled and properly matured ones 

 cause the spoilage of the whole cup and reduce the value of the whole 

 crate. A soft berry will soon break down ; molds will gain entrance 

 and not only cause the decay of the single berry but spread through- 

 out the cup. Too much emphasis can not be placed on faultless 

 sorting. 



PROMPTNESS AND QUICKNESS IN COOLING. 



Apparently the ripening processes of red raspberries continue very 

 actively after the fruit is removed from the vine, and especially if 

 the temperatures are relatively high. To arrest the physiological 

 activities which constitute ripening, to retard and prevent the ger- 

 mination of mold spores, and to retard the development and growth 

 of mold fungi, it is essential that the berries be promptly and 

 quickly cooled after picking. The picked berries lose much of their 

 life by standing in the sun after picking and by delay in getting 

 them into a refrigerator car. The necessity of prompt and quick 

 cooling will be more fully discussed later. 



OTHER INJURIES. 



Considerable injury also occurs in hauling over rough roads or 

 on springless wagons and in rough, careless handling to and from 

 the wagon in such a way that the berries roll around in the cups, 



